No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie day. And where it might be too late (and hopefully too darn hot) for baking, these no bake cookies are sure to be the hit of any event. From Father’s Day (my dad LOVES his peanut butter) to 4th of July BBQ’s to just your everyday peanut butter celebration day, they are easy to make (your kids can help, or your cats if you don’t have kids) can probably be made with what you have already in your pantry, and disappear quickly.

These are low sugar but the sugar can easily be increased to up to 2x to appease the sweet tooths out there. And sugar substitutes are sure to work as well.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls
(Makes 24)

Just as good as Cookies, Heather’s No-Bake Peanut Butter & Pretzel Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal like Rice Crispies or Chex.
• 1 cup crushed pretzel sticks

In a large bowl mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar together till well combined. Add the chocolate chips and crispy rice cereal and also mix till well combined.

Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1″ balls and then roll in the crushed pretzels to coat.

Chill for 1 hour.

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Creamy Brownie Dip

This Cookin’ with Carbo dessert is perfect for the weekend or anytime:

Mark T. Carboni shares his Cookin With Carbo party recipes with Shindigz

There is nothing better than a warm brownie, until now! Join me around the dipping bowl for a creamy brownie dip that will allow you the same great brownie flavors without having to turn on the oven in the summer. It is like Growing up Carbo, when my mom would let me “lick the beaters” from the mixer. This tasty treat is perfect for your next kids birthday party, or satisfy your girlfriends chocolate craving at the next baby shower!

This no-bake Brownie Dip dessert is a chocolate lovers dream!

 

Creamy Brownie Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened

4 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 tablespoons milk

Place the cream cheese and the butter into a bowl and mix with a hand-held mixer. Slowly add the powdered sugar, and continue mixing. Add the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar or milk if needed, until the desired consistency is reached. It is ready to serve with marshmallows, cookies, wafers or apple slices.

The passion for cooking was inherited through Carbo’s maternal grandmother who inspired Mark T. Carboni (Carbo) to bring joy to friends and family through the act of preparing food and celebrations. Carbo and his partner travel to sample and learn regional and cultural differences in food. The experiences allow him to make new and exciting recipes that can be reproduce in your own home using every day products and equipment in a short amount of time. Carbo provides private cooking lessons, authored his first cookbook and keeps a highly interactive Facebook page that showcases food-talk and fun. www.facebook.com/carbocooks.

 

Pina Colada Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

• 15 shortbread cookies, crushed
• 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• FILLING:
• 3 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup cream of coconut
• 3 tablespoons 2% milk
• 3/4 teaspoon rum extract
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled and cored
• 3 tablespoons apple jelly

Directions

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.
• In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and coconut; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 8-10 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the cream of coconut, milk and extract. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
• Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
• Thinly slice pineapple; arrange on cheesecake. Warm apple jelly; brush over pineapple. Refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, garnish with blossoms if desired.
  
• Yield: 12 servings.

Scotch a Roos

Ingredients:
•1 Cup Light Karo Syrup
•1 Cup sugar
•1 tsp vanilla
•1 ½ Cups creamy peanut butter
•6 Cups original Special K cereal
•6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
•12 oz butterscotch chips

Dressing:
Combine first 3 ingredients in very large saucepan and heat to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until melted and smooth.  Stir in cereal.  Press mixture into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with Pam.

In double boiler heat chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until melted and smooth.  Spread over peanut butter mixture. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.